The Hudson River’s Story
Four centuries of history pass by on a week’s cruise.
Get Free Hudson River Cruise QuotesA River That Shaped a Nation
Knowing a little history turns a scenic cruise into a story. These are the chapters you will hear most often from guides along the Hudson.
| Year | Event | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| 1609 | Henry Hudson sails the Half Moon upriver, opening the valley to Dutch trade | Albany, founded as a Dutch trading post |
| 1777 | Kingston becomes New York’s first state capital, then is burned by British forces | Kingston’s stockade district |
| 1778 onward | The Continental Army fortifies West Point and stretches a great chain across the river | West Point |
| 1802 | The U.S. Military Academy is founded at West Point | West Point |
| 1807 | Fulton’s steamboat runs from New York to Albany | The whole route |
| 1825 | The Erie Canal opens, linking the Hudson to the Great Lakes | Albany and Troy |
| 19th century | Hudson River School painters celebrate the valley | Catskill and Olana |
The Steamboat Age
After 1807, the Hudson became the busiest steamboat river in the young country, carrying passengers between New York and Albany in a day instead of a week under sail. Day-line steamers ran on the river into the 20th century. Today’s riverboats travel the same route at a much more leisurely pace.
Gilded Age Estates
The east bank between Tarrytown and Hyde Park filled with the country houses of wealthy New Yorkers. Several are now museums, and they are among the most popular excursions on a Hudson cruise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the Hudson River named after?
Henry Hudson, the English navigator who sailed up the river in 1609 aboard the Half Moon while working for the Dutch East India Company.
What was the first steamboat on the Hudson?
Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat, often called the Clermont, began service between New York and Albany in 1807.
What is the Hudson River School?
A 19th-century movement of American landscape painters, led by Thomas Cole and later Frederic Church, who painted the valley and other American wilderness.
The Great Chain at West Point
During the Revolution, the Continental Army stretched a massive iron chain across the Hudson at West Point to block British warships from sailing upriver. Links of the chain survive and are displayed at the Academy. The plot by Benedict Arnold to hand West Point to the British, uncovered in 1780, is another story guides tell as the boat rounds the bend below the fortress.
History You Will Hear On Board
Small-ship cruises on the Hudson typically carry a guide or lecturer, and talks on board cover the valley’s many layers: the Lenape and Mohican peoples who lived here before Henry Hudson arrived, the Dutch colony of New Netherland, the Revolutionary War struggle for control of the river, and the industrial and artistic history that followed. Reading one good book before you sail, on the Revolution in the Hudson Highlands or on the Hudson River School, makes every stop richer. Our advisors are happy to suggest a sailing whose excursions match your interests.
Cruise Through Hudson History
Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will find the departure and excursions that suit your interests, free.
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